On his way out, our current governor has decided to give Virginia students the one thing they haven’t asked for — another test. Actually, while the Presidential Fitness Test will be new to today’s children, anyone who attended public schools from 1966 to 2012 might remember this rite of passage in P.E. class. Like many tests, it provoked a degree of anxiety and discomfort in some students. We suspect our current state leader, who seems reasonably fit, didn’t recall a similar experience when he issued an executive order this week to reestablish the test. 

“By reinstating the Presidential Fitness Test, we’re renewing a proud national tradition that honors the connection between physical wellness and civic readiness,” the governor stated in a news release. “When we talk about the future success of the Commonwealth, what we’re really talking about is the health and success of Virginia’s students today.” 

The name of the test should have given the governor second thoughts. The words “physical fitness” and “president” in the same sentence — when the current president is, by many accounts, noticeably obese — send a confusing message to students. You’d think Youngkin would want to avoid highlighting one of the president’s most obvious shortcomings. Instead, bringing back this “presidential” test makes it easy to picture him attempting pull-ups, struggling through the shuttle run, or giving up early on the 600-yard walk/run. 

There are ways to make sure our children are physically fit without creating competitive or potentially embarrassing situations. Another test, based on an idea from the 1960s, isn’t the way forward. Instead of looking backward, Virginia should focus on programs that encourage all students to move, play and build healthy habits at their own pace with approaches that reward effort and progress.